13th Ernest Shackleton Autumn School

Friday, 25th October

8.00pm in Athy Heritage Centre – Museum.
Official Opening & Exhibition Launch by the Australian Ambassador to Ireland, Her Excellency Dr Ruth Adler.

Exhibition - Mawson’s Men

On display for the first time in Ireland the exhibition gives a rare glimpse into the daily lives of the men of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition (1911-1914) led by Sir Douglas Mawson. The exhibition showcases the lives of the 32 men who took part in the Expedition which set out to investigate a section of the ‘practically unknown Antarctic coast’ and conduct numerous scientific studies. The exhibition features photographs taken by some of the expeditioners : Frank Hurley, Xavier Mertz, who died during the expedition leaving Mawson to make it back to base alone, and Frederick Gillies. Mawson’s first experience of Antarctica was as member of the scientific team on Shackleton’s Nimrod expedition (1907-1909), where he was part of the three man team to reach the magnetic South Pole.
The Exhibition was produced by the Australian Antarctic Division of the Australian Government, which is responsible for ‘Advancement of Australia’s strategic, scientific, environmental and economic interests in the Antarctic by protecting administering and researching the region.’
Antarctic Adventurers – the Antarctic adventurers will recreate a three man sledging party from the early years of Antarctic exploration.

Sunday, 27h October Athy Library

10.00am “Polar Otherworlds : Dreams and Ghosts in Arctic Exploration "
Dr Shane McCorristine Admission €10 11.00am COFFEE 11.30am “Forty Years on the Ice” Dr Charles Swithinbank Admission €10 12.15pm “They Also Served : A Look at the Hundreds of Participants of the Heroic Age Behind the Familiar Names ” Joan Boothe Admission €10 1pm LUNCH
Film Athy Library 2.30pm “Bare et Liv” The film, a Norwegian/Soviet co-production, made in 1968 is a dramatised account of the life of the Norwegian Polar Explorer and Humanitarian Fridjof Nansen Presented by Geir O. Kløver
Admission €10 4.00pm Open Forum – Chaired by Bob Headland
Cultural Evening Athy Community Arts Centre
DRAMA 8.00pm Redemption Song Written and performed by John MacKenna Directed by Marian Brophy. Redemption Song is a beautiful play - hilariously funny and heartbreakingly sad. Joe is a small-time builder. As he says himself : "If you never get too big, you never go out of business." Joe’s marriage to Mary has broken up and their son has been executed. There’s also the question of whether the young man really is Joe’s son ? Work and music have been Joe’s answer to every problem life has thrown at him. And then, one evening, two young men call to his door with stunning news - they’ve given a lift to a hitch-hiker and they swear the man is Joe’s dead son. Everything changes - "If a man has hope, he has something." Redemption Song is a powerful and gripping ontemporary retelling of an old story. Admission €10

Monday, 28th October

Field Trip Assemble at The Heritage Centre – Museum 10.00am Bus tour through Shackleton country. A Visit to Ballitore and the home of Mary Leadbeater, writer and ancestor of Ernest Shackleton, the Quaker Meeting House and the Shaker Store. Fare €10